Insulating material and method of making the same



C. A. UPSON April 28, 1931.

INSULATING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Feb. 23 192 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR CZWZGS/Z U Dspn 4.1,I5ATTORNEYS c. A. UPSON April 28, 1931.

Filed Feb. 25 3 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I II IIIIII IIIIIIII I I I I I I II I I I H? M u I K m M H N a 4 I\ N I WMW M W WO MW K I m I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I IIXIIIII I|||| II IIIIIIII Ql IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 3 INVENTOR H I h I HHI HHI I I I HHIIIII is ATTORNEY I w I I w I 0 I I I l I I I I I I I I I x' "a IIIIIIIIII l IIIIII II III II IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN M WM J M WAH M NH W UH 4W w fl AIR/J HE I. #1 I III M. \1 I I I l I II IIIIIIII WMW OWMWIGWX I WWW AN QAVIQ M I -IIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII llllllll 1 Patented Apr. 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT ol-"l-lcri CH ABLES A. U PSON, OF LOCKPORT, NEW YOR K, ASSIGNOR TO THE UPSON COMPANY, OF

"LOCKPOBT, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 01! NEW YORK INSULATING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Application filed Febrnary 23, 1928. Serial No. 256,349.

My present invention relates to the manufacture of heat and sound insulating material and padding such as is used in building construction as a lining for walls and floors,

and has for its object to provide an improved article of this character, and an improved method of making the same. The improveients are directed in part toward furnishlng a light and flexible but strongsheet of material having a felted fibre center and one nations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

' In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fragment of insulating material constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention, portions of theliner sheets being cut away to reveal interior elements; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectlon therethrough;

Fig. '3 is an enlargement of a portion of the showing-of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectioii taken on the line J -4 of Fig. 1 along one of r the lines of stitching; 3

- Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the use -of a difl'erent kind of stitch; Q,

I -may beslitted.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the forming machine through the medium of which my improved method can be carried out, and

Fig. 7 isa top view off a fragment shown in Fig. 1 show ng the manner -1I1 whlch 1t Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts. The substance that I use for the body of the material as indicated at '1 may be any fiocculent fibrous'material that may be felted manipulations of manufacture, In other words, the central body 1 is a hat that may be composed of animal, mineral or vegetable matter, such .as cotton, animal hair, wood fibre, et cetera. At the present time I find it both convenient and economical to use a low grade of cotton, such as damaged or waste.

cotton, which produces a superior article. Whatever the substance,it is-formed into 'a flat bat in any suitable bat making machine. I next apply to one' or both surfaces thereof a plurality of narrow thin flexible strips 2 and 3 that are laid in parallelism longitudinally of the bat strip, and s aced laterally from each other asshown in ig. 1. Ordinarily I use paper for this purpose, and where the strips are applied to both sides of the bat the units on one side are respectively placed opposite corresponding unitson the other side. I then sew)the bat and strips together with longitudinal rows of stitching 4.

' In some cases I use double rows of stitching on some of the interior strips as shown for a purpose hereinafter explained. Finally there isapplied to one or both sides of the resulting structnre a flexible liner sheet 5 of paper or other material, previously coating the under side of the liner with 'an adhesive body 6, such as a solution of silicate of soda, asphaltum, glue or other appropriate substances knownto the paper making art. This adhesive may be "applied to the entire face of the liner, so that it adheres directly to the bat 1, or it may be applied along lines corresponding to the strips 2 and 3, or it may be applied to the strips instead of to the liner. In any event, its function is to firmly attach the liner to the sewn strips, as shown in sections in Figs. 4 and .5, and not only this but to cement and lock the exposed ends of-the stitches 4; in place, they being imbedded in the adhesive body, so' that they do not give and enlarge the holes in the strips through which they pass..

In this way a firmly constructed yet flexible composite insulatin material is produced having a body o uniform texture, which both before and during use, is free from both wads and thin spots. The stitched strips while thus supporting the fibrous lot I I the bat and have their ends turned over and structure of the interior nevertheless do not impair the flexibility, particularly laterally, which is useful in laying and fitting during building construction as when rounding corners, or covering the sharp turn of pillars and posts.

Any convenient'form of stitch may be used so long as the ends of the thread after passing through the bat are exposed to the adhesive on the outer faces of the strips. In Fig. 4 I have showna plain running stitch, though a plain stitch may be'used with double effect. In Fig. 5 I show the thread indicated at 4a clipped after each stitch so that a plurality of detached threads pass through ring to this figure, G indicates generally a Garnett picker, or familiar type of batmaking machine, the details of which are of no consequence to this invention and application. It is sufiicient to say that the flat fibrous hat -1 issues therefrom in a continuous strip between discharge rollers 7 onto a table 8. .Next adjacent thereto area pair of sup-' ports 9 carrying axles 10 upon. which are supported above and below the table rolls 11 of strip paper suitably spaced to lay the strips 3 at the proper interval in a continuous manner upon the traveling bat. These elements together with the liners about to' be described are drawn through the machine by means of a plurality of feed and pressure rolls 12 carried by a frame work 13, which rolls are suitably driven and may be heated or not according to the adhesive and other material used. I

As the bat with the strips thereon passes across the table 8 toward the fecdroll, it travels through a multiple needle sewing machine 14, which applies the stitching 4. After the sewing operation a lower liner strip 5 is drawn from a supply roll 15 over suitable guide rollers and through a dope box16, where the adhesive is applied to the upper face thereof by a roll 17. From thence the liner passes up and through the feed rolls 12 3'thereon.

and becomes attached and pressed firmly to the under side of the bat, and the under strips In case'it is desired to im regnatethe bat I or inner fabric body with a re resisting or a water resisting material, I prefer to intro-v duce this in a powdered form from a hopper 18 supported in-the frame 13. Any suitable substance maybe used, and it is sifted down upon the exposed surface of the bat from one of the feed rolls 12a, whichas shown cooperates with the mouth of the hopper. During the further travel of the structure through the machine this powder is automatically shaken through to impregnate the interstices of the fibrous mass.

The upper liner 5a is next applied to the upper surface in the same manner as that described with respect to the lower liner. It is drawn from a supply roll 19 over suitable guides through an upper dope box 20, where the adhesive is applied by roller 21 to its under surface before it passes under the feed roll 12 next beyond the distributing feed roll 12a of the proofing device. Beyond this point after passing through several more feed and pressure rolls the structure becomes a finished material. If the machine is a large one and it is desired to cut the material longitudinally to divide it into more convenient widths I arrange u on the frame 13 a plurality of suitably driven upper and lower slitting knives 22. These new arranged that they engage and cut in between the double lines of stitching on the interior strips 3, as indicated at 23 in Fig. 7. This leaves the edges of the bat well supported on all sides.

From the feed rolls the finished material is carried over an endless conve or 24 to the desired point of delivery. In t e present instance I' have shown it delivered to a suitable swatching machine 25 which automatically folds the strips in zig-gaz piles and severs it into desired lengths, but the details of this are of no more concern to this invention than is'the particular construction of the machine at the other end, which prepares and feeds the bat.

I prefer to cover the entire inner surfaces of the liners 5 and 5a with the adhesive so that they adhere directlyto the bat between the strips as well as to the strips themselves. This prevents changes in the positions of the fibres in the sections of the bat between the strips, while the stitches prevent these sections from moving relatively to each other.

Asphaltum is preferably used as the adhesive element where waterproofing of the outer paper liners is desired or other adhesives of a waterproofing character can be used or waterproofing may be effected by a treatment additional to the application of the adhesive. i r

I claim:

1. The method of making a composite insulating material as a continuous process which comprises progressively preparing a travelling felted hat of loosely associated fibres, app-lying a plurality of thin flexible strips laterally spaced from each other, in parallelism to a surface of the bat during its travel, sewing said strips to the bat, while travelling together with longitudinal lines of stitches, and cementing a thin flexible liner sheet to the strips and hat on both sides while travelling in a manner that cements also the ends of the stitches in place.

2. The method of making a composite insulating material which comprises preparing a felted bat of loosely assoc1ated bres, applying a plurality of thin flexible strips laterally spaced from each other in. parallelism on both sides of the bat in direct contact therewith, so that units are aligned in airs on opposite sides thereof, sewin each 0 said pairs of strips and the bat toget er with longitudinal lines of stitches so that the stitches are exposed upon the outer faces of the strips, and cementing thin flexible liner sheets to the strips on'both sides of the bat in a mam ner that also cements the'stitches in place.

3. The method of making a composite insulating material which comprises preparing a felted hat of loosely associated fibres, applying a plurality of thin flexible strips, laterally spaced from each other in parallelism on both sides of the bat so that units are aligned in pairs on opposite sides thereof, sewing each of said pairs of strips and the bat together with longitudinal lines of stitches so that the stitches are exposed upon the outer faces of the strips, one of the latter being provided with double lines of such stitching, cementing thin, flexible liner sheets to the strips on both sides ofthe bat in a manner that also cements the stitches in lace, and finally slitting the product long1tudinally between the aforesaid double lines of laterally spaced from strips of paper laid against op stitching on the doubly sewed strip.

4. The'method of making a composite in sulating material as a continuous o ration which comprises preparing a felte bat of loosely associated fibres, conveying the same continuously alon a given path of travel, applying a plurality of thin flexible strips,

each other in parallelism, to a surface of the hat by laying it progressivtly thereon durin its travel sewing said strips to the bat whi e-bot-h are in travel with longitudinal lines of stitches, applying a thin, flexible liner sheet to the strips progressively during their travel and applying an adhesive to one of said last mentioned elements before they come together to cement the liner to the strips in a manner that also cements the stitches in place. i

5. An an article of manufacture, a. composite insulating material embodying in combination a felted bat of loosely associated fibres, a plurality of parallel laterally spaced posits" sides thereof in direct contact therewith so that units are aligned in pairs on opposite sides of'the bat, stitches extending through. such pairs of strips from side to side and through the bat, an imperforate paper liner sheet superimposed upon the strips on each side of the bat, and an adhesive-securing the liners to the strips and also acting to cement the stitches in place. a

6. As an article of manufacture, a composite insulating material embodying in comination a felted bat of loosely associated fibres, a plurality of stri s of thin flexible material laid oppositely t ereon in pairs on both sides, stitches extending through the strips and'bat, a thin, flexible imperforate liner sheet superposed upon the strips and hat on each side of the latter, and an adhesive securing each liner to the strips and also acting to cement the'stitches in place, one such pair of stri s being positioned at each selvage edge 0 the bat.

CHARLES A. UPSO'N. 

